‘Greenest Automaker’ Hyundai-Kia Unseats Honda

Hyundai-Kia wins the title of “greenest automaker,” unseating Honda, which came in second, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) latest Automaker Rankings report.

Toyota, Nissan, and Volkswagen tied for third place.

UCS says all eight of the best-selling automakers showed improvements in the 2014 rankings, which measure the pollution emissions of each automaker’s fleet. The average new car has gotten 43 percent cleaner since 1998, emitting around 20 percent less global warming pollution and nearly 87 percent less smog-forming tailpipe emissions, according to the report.

Despite this progress, the Detroit “Big Three” — Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler — still lag behind, with higher than average emissions. Chrysler — the least improved automaker over the past decade — once again earns the “dirtiest tailpipe” award.